Ben’s new book of ‘hope’ goes electronic for today’s
war-zone soldiers
Local author and former RUC Officer, Ben Forde has published an updated version of his 1979 book – Hope in Bomb City.
The book which brought a message of hope and personal peace during the most violent years of Northern Ireland’s ‘troubles’ has been updated and expanded with fresh insights, this time with its theme directed at a new audience that includes soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and other conflict zones.
The new publication which will be available on Kindle was first published in 1979, in the midst of the IRA terror campaign of 1969-1992, and made quite an impact,
particularly as it was written by a police officer serving on the front line in
Belfast.
Portadown-born Ben had enrolled with the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1960
during an earlier terror campaign, and over the following two decades
experienced only four and a half years of ‘normal’ police service. His inner
strength throughout the difficult years of the troubles came, he says, from his
family and his faith in Christ.
Speaking ahead of the launch Ben said: “Family life provided precious time spent with my wife and children, it provided sanity and love as a vital antidote to the madness and hatred that I and my comrades had to face on a daily basis during those years. But it was my faith that was my spiritual rock, and from faith springs hope, which is the subject of both my original book and this new, extended edition: Hope in ‘Bomb City’ – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.”
war-zone soldiers
Local author and former RUC Officer, Ben Forde has published an updated version of his 1979 book – Hope in Bomb City.
The book which brought a message of hope and personal peace during the most violent years of Northern Ireland’s ‘troubles’ has been updated and expanded with fresh insights, this time with its theme directed at a new audience that includes soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and other conflict zones.
The new publication which will be available on Kindle was first published in 1979, in the midst of the IRA terror campaign of 1969-1992, and made quite an impact,
particularly as it was written by a police officer serving on the front line in
Belfast.
Portadown-born Ben had enrolled with the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1960
during an earlier terror campaign, and over the following two decades
experienced only four and a half years of ‘normal’ police service. His inner
strength throughout the difficult years of the troubles came, he says, from his
family and his faith in Christ.
Speaking ahead of the launch Ben said: “Family life provided precious time spent with my wife and children, it provided sanity and love as a vital antidote to the madness and hatred that I and my comrades had to face on a daily basis during those years. But it was my faith that was my spiritual rock, and from faith springs hope, which is the subject of both my original book and this new, extended edition: Hope in ‘Bomb City’ – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.”
